NFL Draft Risers: Week 6

ASU WR is no longer an unknown

No prospect has risen from obscurity to heavy NFL interest quite like Strong this season.

Strong, a junior college transfer, has four straight 100-plus yard efforts. Arizona State’s opponents during the streak? Wisconsin, Stanford, USC and Notre Dame.

Strong is currently tied for seventh in college football with 7.8 catches per game.

Strong stands 6-4, and he is listed at 205 pounds. He uses his body to shield defenders as well as any wide receiver in the country. No WR in the country has displayed hands as strong. He simply plucks the ball out of the air. Strong may not have elite top speed, but his physical play has proven to give defenders nightmares.

2. Carlos Hyde, RB Ohio State

Hyde was the driving force in Ohio State’s victory against a nationally ranked Northwestern program.

Hyde ran for 168 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries — 12 of the carries resulted in first downs. He added four receptions for 38 yards.

Hyde isn’t considered a top RB prospect, but he has the size and talent many NFL teams covet. He displayed toughness and superior ability against Northwestern. Hyde carried his team, and Ohio State’s national championship aspirations are still alive as a result.

3. Jacobbi McDaniel, DT Florida State

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston stole the show Saturday against Maryland, but McDaniel may have been the most dominant Seminole on the field.

McDaniel is undersized at 6-0 and 295 pounds. Yet, he regularly played with fantastic pad level and controlled Terrapin blockers by shooting his hands and driving them into the backfield with ease.

McDaniel only finished with three tackles and half a sack, but he was a consistently disruptive presence with his ability to shed tackles and apply pressure in passing situations. (He knocked Maryland’s QB out of the game.)

4. Darqueze Dennard, CB Michigan State

Iowa targeted Dennard 11 times during Saturday’s contest, He surrendered only four receptions.

Dennard also plucked a pair of interceptions against the Hawkeyes. The second essentially ended the contest. It led to Dennard being named the Big Ten Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week.

Dennard wasn’t simply strong against the pass. He contributed in the Spartans’ run defense. Dennard led the defense with eight total tackles.

5. Gabe Jackson, OG Mississippi State

Mississippi State went blow for blow with LSU for most of the game but fell short in the fourth quarter. Jackson was one Bulldog to play at a very high level throughout the contest.

Jackson faced arguably the top pair of DTs in the nation. Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson weren’t factors against the highly rated guard.

Jackson displayed strong hands and regularly controlled defenders with a quick punch. He also moved well while pass blocking in small areas.